From farm to plate Canadians waste a staggering $31 billion in food every year - nearly 50% of that waste occurs in the home. If we take the time to plan better and store food properly we can reduce the amount of wasted food and save money. Check out what is happening in your own fridge and learn more about what you can do to reduce your waste.
Green bins are collected on the same day as your recycling every week. Your collection day can be found on the collection schedule for your area.
Set your green bin by your curb no later than 7:00 a.m. on the day of your collection and no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before. Were your materials left at the curb? Before calling Service Oshawa common set out mistakes.
Use the green bin to separate your organics from your garbage. The organics collected through the green bin program is composted at another facility. Finished compost is offered back to residents for use on their lawns and gardens through yearly spring compost giveaway events.
| What goes in the green bin? |
- Bread, toast, cereal, baked goods and pizza
- Cake, cookies, pie, muffins and candies
- Coffee grounds, filters and teabags
- Dairy products, cheese and yogurt (no containers)
- Eggs and egg shells
- Fats & oils, lard, gravy, butter and margarine (no containers)
- Fruit (no plastic)
- Hair, pet fur, dryer lint, and feathers
- Houseplants and flowers
- Meat, fish & shellfish (including bones and shells)
- Pasta, couscous, potatoes, rice, oatmeal, flour and grains
- Vegetables (no plastic, elastics or stickers)
- Nuts and shells
- Paper towels, napkins, tissues
- Paper egg cartons and drink trays
- Sauces, mayonnaise, salad dressing, syrups, peanut butter, jams and jellies (no containers)
- Small amounts of shredded paper
- Soiled paper food packaging
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| Using your kitchen food waste container |
Keep your kitchen container in the kitchen for easy use.
- Store the small container in your kitchen in a convenient place.
- Line your kitchen container with a certified compostable bag, paper based product or wrap organics securely in a newspaper. Do not use plastic grocery bags to line your bins.
- Empty your food waste directly into the liner bag making sure to remove plastic wrap from fruit and vegetables.
- When odours are noticeable, or the liner bag is nearly full, tie the liner bag closed. Carry your kitchen container and its contents to where you keep your curbside green bin.
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| Using your curbside green bin |
- Store the larger curbside green bin in your garage or outside in the shade and lock the lid securely.
- Place the larger bin at the curb beside your garbage before 7:00 a.m. on your collection day.
- Be sure not to overload your green bin. The weight limit should not exceed 20 kg (44 lbs.).
- Purchase additional bins at the Region of Durham Waste Management Centre located at 4600 Garrard Road Whitby. Contact the Region of Durham at 905-579-5264 or email waste@durham.ca.
- Exchange damaged curbside green bins free by calling Service Oshawa.
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| What is a certified compostable bag? |
- Liner bags that are 100 percent certified compostable are made from all natural products that will completely break down and become part of the finished compost. Look for liner bags that are marked with logos showing that they are certified compostable bags.
- The use of 100 per cent certified compostable liner bags, paper food waste bags, or food waste wrapped in newspaper is the way Durham Region produces top-quality compost.
- Liner bags advertised as biodegradable or oxo biodegradable are not compostable. Plastic does not completely break down, making it very costly and inefficient to separate and remove it from compostable material. Green bins lined with unacceptable liner bags including plastic grocery bags will not be collected.
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| Spring Compost Giveaway Events |
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Each spring, the Region of Durham offers free compost to area residents as a thank you for separating and diverting organics and leaf and yard waste from the waste stream.
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